


One step (backwards) at a time

by notsohardsehun



Series: ShortWork_Compilations [5]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Daddy Sehun, M/M, Past Relationship(s), School Teacher Jongin, single parent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:28:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28087734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notsohardsehun/pseuds/notsohardsehun
Summary: Sehun sends his little girl off to school and he frowns as he watches her jumping into a stranger's arms. He knows that person very well and that person was once his lover.
Relationships: Kim Jongin | Kai/Oh Sehun
Series: ShortWork_Compilations [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2057661
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	One step (backwards) at a time

“Daddy…” Sehun perks up from his laptop and turns to look at his little girl who is lying on her stomach. There are boxes of colour pencils, magic colours and crayons around her and her tiny fingers are, as usual, tainted by all the colours. There’s something she takes after her mother and Sehun can really see that. It is her talent in art. “Yes sweetheart?”

“Should I add more colours?” she perks her butt, pushing her body up to stand and pads towards Sehun with her drawing block. Sehun takes the piece of paper and stares at it. It’s a picture of a village, with huge mountains in the background – or maybe hills, he can’t decide and a river. Sehun glances at Jieun, who is anticipating a reaction from him. “Hmm…” Sehun hums, raking his brain for some ideas. She could add a few more to fill the paper and his minds hints some birds and stick people.

“Honey…” Sehun snaps his fingers and cradles her close, in between his legs. He keeps the drawing on the laptop and pulls her up to sit on his lap. She leans in against his chest and, looks up to see him from her long fringe, “Why don’t you draw a few people and add some birds?” Sehun suggests, pointing to where the birds should be and the possible places the stick people could be. “They can be the village people…”

“This is not a village daddy…” Jieun says voice flat and she sends him the look. “There are no houses anywhere…” she says and Sehun clears his throat, avoiding her gaze. Another trait she got from her mother or maybe it runs in the family; the piercing ice glare. Sehun stares at her drawing again and indeed there are no houses, “Why don’t you add small houses then?” he suggests, “Make it look like a peaceful village under the mountains and colour the sky a few shades darker…”

This time Jieun remains silent, weighing Sehun’s suggestion. Sehun believes she would consider it since, there’s no sun and there’s a great amount of space underneath the mountain. It would be too empty if she leaves it the way it is. “But teacher didn’t ask to draw houses…” she speaks after some time, clearly interested in his suggestion but the teacher’s instructions are keeping her imaginations apart.

“Okay girl… We’ll do this…” He taps her knees, kissing her head to pump in some encouragement. “You draw your little houses and if the teacher asks you about it… Tell her…”

“Him… Mr Kim, remember?” Jieun corrects him with a soft glare.

“Okay. Tell him you got imaginative and I encouraged you to draw more…”

“He will not give me chocolates…” Jieun pouts, hugging his arms and Sehun gets the cue to turn her around and hug her. “I will buy you chocolates on the way back tomorrow…” Sehun promises her with a kiss on her cheek. She giggles, wiping her wet cheeks and kisses Sehun back on his lips. The father of the six years old girl, blushes, enjoying a little too much from the kiss. “Princess Jieun kissed her King on the lips today… Let’s have a celebration…” Sehun chimes happily, carrying her on his hips to the kitchen.

Each time Sehun gets a kiss on his lips from her, he makes her a cup of hot chocolate. She loves her chocolate warm and creamy and Sehun adds something special today; he drizzle Hershey’s chocolate syrup in her mug. Jieun kicks her legs in the air, claps happily and her loud giggles fill the room. Sehun watches her gulp down the hot chocolate in minutes and he let her use her finger to lick all the syrup clean. “I love you daddy…” Jieun kisses him again, meeting her chocolate coated lips with his.

Sehun cleans up the work room after chasing Jieun to the bathroom, giving her strict instructions to brush her teeth, “Daddy I am done!” Sehun sighs when he hears her screaming from the bathroom and he screams back, “Jieun should I brush your teeth for you?” He warns her. She has a bad habit of not brushing her teeth and he cannot imagine her with bad tooth. She’s too pretty to have bad tooth. Sehun hears a soft no and the tap running. He quickly, packs her bag and rushes to the bathroom.

“Pick a nightie now… and we can go to bed…” Sehun washes her face, daps the fluffy towel on her face and she runs out of the bathroom into her pink bedroom. “I want to wear the ice bear nightie!” she squeals, looking into her clothes compartment. Sehun brings the Pureen powder with him and waits for her on the bed, “Careful, don’t mess all the other clothes…” he tells her. He looks around her room, thinking of what other new obsession will she have. She once had her Frozen fever, Minions obsession and now, she’s loving the We Bare Bears. Sehun doesn’t want to admit but he prefers the bears over her previous obsession.

“Daddy…” Sehun hums, helping her with her nighties, and she wiggles her hands out through the holes, “Mr Kim looks like Grizz Bear every morning…” Sehun frowns at her, not liking how she’s talking about her teacher. “He comes in looking like this…” She mimics her teacher’s sleepy eyes and unknowingly, Sehun laughs. “I think you’re watching this Bear cartoon too much.” Sehun blames her and she whines, hitting his thighs lightly, “No… he really looks like a bear. And he likes it when I call him Nini Bear…”

Sehun rolls his eyes, sighing like he has no choice “Its rude Jieun. I want you to apologise to your teacher tomorrow…”

\--//--

“Jieun…” Sehun mumbles with her Panda hair tie in his mouth and he braids her hair professionally. Sehun is very proud of his handiwork on her hair and it took him hundreds of tutorial videos and months of practice to have the most beautiful and neat braid. Jieun hums, turning her head up to look at him and he frowns, pushing her head to look straight. Braiding is actually a very difficult and troublesome work when you have someone as hyperactive as Jieun. There are times Sehun has to redo her hair just because she cannot sit still.

“You remember what I told you last night?” Sehun asks, passing her the comb and he takes the hair tie from his mouth, tying it around the end of her braid. Sehun huffs curling the end of her hair and admires his work of art. Everything and anything looks good on her. Jieun falls backwards into his chest and Sehun keeps his lips tight before he could yell at her for making a mess of her hair. He glances up to the clock and they have a perfect hour for breakfast.

“Tell Teacher Kim sorry…” she mumbles, drawing circles on his knee. Sehun kisses the crown of her head and stands up to keep the comb and pick up some hair from the floor. Jieun silently helps him and he notices the deep look in her eyes. She’s thinking about what she did and why she is apologizing. “Let’s eat…”

Sehun pours her a glass of warm milk and as he turns to keep the new box of milk in the fridge, Jieun giggles asking him to add more milk. Sehun raises his eyebrow at the empty glass and adds, “Only half… Eat the toast…” He tells her and pours a glass of apple juice for himself. Jieun watches as Sehun heats up last night’s remaining food, softly whining for it. At the end, Sehun shares with her their dinner and she pushes her toast to Sehun.

\--///--

Sehun helps Jieun to unbuckle her seat belt and on his instruction, she opens the door and runs to his side of the car. She squeals, waving her hand when a few of her friends which Sehun recognizes passes by with their parents. Sehun starts to naturally frown. He cannot help but frown every time he’s at her school. He just hates how the other parents would look at him with their concerning but i-am-here-for-juicy-gossip look. Sehun locks his brand new Audi and grabs Jieun’s hand before she could blindly run towards the gate. With one hand holding Jieun and the other her bag, they make their way to the gate.

Despite hating all the other parents, Sehun loves dropping his girl to the gate, waiting and watching until she’s safe and sound inside the building. A few nice and sweet kid greets him and Jieun does the same to their parents which has Sehun’s shoulder and chest expanding – he is so proud of her. Sehun kneels down and straps her Bare Bears bag on her shoulder and tilts his head for her to kiss his cheeks. “Be nice to everyone and try write down your homework.” He reminds her, kissing both her cheeks and her lips. Jieun giggles, hugging him around his neck and Sehun wraps an arm around her tiny waist. “I’ll see you later daddy…”

“I love you…” he pecks her lips quickly and she turns around running into the gate. “I love you too daddy!” She screams, giggling loudly and he shakes his head at her cute antiques. She is the only one who could make him smile in a crowd of annoying people but his smile is short lasting. Sehun stands up with a frown, watching another man taking Jieun in his arms.

\--//--

“Oh wow dude… what’s with the temper?” Sehun glares at his one and only best friend, wingman, and business partner – Park Chanyeol. “Did any of the young mothers try to match make you with their relatives?” The taller one asks, laughing loudly at Sehun. Chanyeol knows that Sehun would leave Jieun at school before coming to the office and knowing the young father very well, Chanyeol assumes something must have happened in school because Jieun doesn’t cause Sehun to be this tensed – even when she was a baby and he had hard time learning how to care for a baby girl on his own. Sehun loves the little one too much.

“I fucking saw someone I didn’t thought I would meet and for fucking hell Jieun loves him!” Sehun snaps, hitting the table angrily. Chanyeol turns mum and stares at his best friend for one long minute. “What you mean Jieun loves this person?” Chanyeol questions Sehun trying to fit the puzzles. He had known Sehun for the past seven years and he never questioned the other about the life before Jieun and he bets, this person has something to do with Sehun’s life before Jieun.

“He’s the teacher she’s been talking about.” Sehun grumbles from behind his teeth, rubbing his temples to massage the headache away.

“I don’t mean to intrude but I can’t help if I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Chanyeol says, sitting on the leather chair five steps in front of Sehun’s work table, crossing his legs for some serious discussion that is troubling his best friend.

“He… The teacher… was my…” Sehun groans, not knowing how to say it. “He is my ex…”

Chanyeol cups his mouth with his palm and stares at Sehun. He can literally see Sehun’s troubles around his shoulder and he understands how the situation is. “Good terms or bad terms?” Chanyeol asks since relationship ends in two ways. “Bad I guess…” Sehun mumbles, remembering the dark day. He was the one left alone with a broken heart and trust.

“Fuck this person… Go and take Jieun back. She’s the only one that matters to you and his existence will do nothing to you.”

Sehun weighs Chanyeol’s suggestion and stares at the stacks of paper on his table. Work can wait but this trouble in his heart must be solved first. The breakup had been hard for him but Jieun made everything easier. He focused the love he has on her, poured every feelings he has on her and did everything with her in mind. Jieun matters.

Sehun glances at his watch and packs his things to leave. Jieun’s class will be over in half hour and he will be just in time to pick her up and bring her over. Somehow he tries to delay, avoid someone he never wants to meet but Jieun would be worried if she doesn’t see him at the gate, waiting for her. With a sigh and heavy heart, Sehun leaves his office.

Sehun is five minutes early. He parks his car under a shady tree across the road and stares at the school gate through his sunglasses. Jieun would burst out laughing if she sees him in sunglasses and just to match him, she would demand her very own customized sunglasses. Sehun hangs her small sunglasses between his buttons and taps the wheels anxiously. He hears the bell and on cue, gets down the car to get his little girl.

It is nice having a small school in the neighbourhood. There are not many kids and Sehun gets to monitor his girl. From a distance Sehun spots his little girl running to the gate with her school bag moving left to right. He frowns unhappily, thinking of all the nonsense she stuffed in her bag. “Daddy!!!!!” Jieun squeals, waving her hand enthusiastically at him and she jumps into his arms as he lowers to carry her up. Sehun quickly turns around to walk back to his car when normally he would spend some time nagging her about her dirty shoes and messy hair. “What would you have for lunch today?” Sehun asks her, putting her down and takes her small hand in his.

“Can we have the delicious ramen like the other day?” She asks, referring to the Japanese café near his office. “Sure…” They walk hand in hand and just when they are about to cross the road to Sehun’s car,

“Sehun…”

Sehun turns around too quickly for his good and regrets immediately. “Wow… it’s really you.” Sehun frowns, holding Jieun’s hand tighter.

Unaware of Sehun’s inner turmoil, Jieun wraps her hands around Sehun’s legs and stares at her teacher with stars in her eyes. “You know my daddy, Teacher Kim?” the said teacher squats down to her level and tries to reach to ruffle her hair but Sehun is quicker; Sehun puts his hand on Jieun’s head protectively, hiding her behind his hands.

“I didn’t think Jieun would be your girl…” Sehun watches the other stand up straight with a hand behind his neck. Sehun knows the habit too well and he doesn’t get why the other would be shy and embarrassed.

“Is there anything you would like to tell me Mr Kim?” Sehun speaks in his most professional voice and he catches the shocked and disappointed look in the other’s eyes. Sehun clenches his jaw, keeping his face straight as Jieun seems to notice the tension between them. The arm around his legs tightens.

“There is…” the other says, looking away. “I regret that day very much and I regret it more now…” Sehun catches the pause in the sentence and how the pair of eyes is trained to Jieun.

“This is not the place to talk about it and we are way past it. So if you will excuse us…” Sehun glares, rolls his eyes and turns around again to leave. He finds it ridiculous that the other would discuss about it in public. Not that he wants the other to talk about it. “Sehun…wait please…” Sehun sighs, when he feels a hand around his arm,

“Don’t touch me Kim Jongin… You lost the rights.” Sehun grits, glaring at the other. Kim Jongin; the man who broke his heart in pieces and the man he pathetically loved all the years. “Listen to me Sehun… I had my reasons and now when I found you I don’t think I can keep the boulder of truth in my heart.”

Sehun could feel Jieun’s thundering heart. She’s hugging him tightly around his legs and Sehun notices a few curious glances towards them. He hates Jongin a lot more. Those ladies will have more stories to share about him. Sehun glances at his watch and down to Jieun. “I am sorry… I can’t do this now. I have a girl to look after…” Sehun says, trying to leave for the third time.

But

Here they are, in the Japanese café. Jieun sits next to Sehun, eating her Kimchi Miso Ramen and Sehun has his own Curry Ramen untouched. In front of him, the teacher hesitates with a rice meal. Sehun leans against the red leather chair, glaring at the teacher as he waits for the other to speak up and leave. It would be best if Jongin leaves quickly because Sehun’s mind is bringing back all the memories.

“I didn’t leave you because I stopped loving you or I had another man to love…” Sehun listens and Jieun perks up to listen. Sehun will have to explain to her later about everything since he can hear her loud mind but being a mannered child, she listens without asking anything.

“But my parents had to leave the city and I… there’s no way I can part with you in good terms Sehun… the distance and longing would kill me.”

“So you faked the breakup?” Sehun chuckles bitterly, shaking his head. His heart is breaking again after ten years.

“I believe we took a break, not breakup.”

“I lived ten years hating you Kim Jongin…” Sehun confesses. He really lived the ten years hating Kim Jongin for making him so miserable and pathetic,

“And I lived ten years loving you more…”

Jieun drops her chopsticks and stares at Sehun. Knowing Sehun’s sadness, she leans in and hugs him tightly and Sehun embraces her, kissing the crown of her head.

“But it took me by surprised that you moved on with life…” Jongin speaks sadly, throwing Jieun a look. Sehun tells her to eat her ramen and Sehun starts with his, ignoring Jongin who is trying to know about Jieun. “I didn’t know you are married…”

“Daddy is not married,” Jieun says, shocking both Sehun and Jongin. Sehun sighs and rolls his eyes and she whispers a small apology, “You are not?” Jongin asks him and from the corner of his eyes, Sehun could see Jieun shaking her head.

“She’s my sister’s… Jihae’s girl.”

“But you’re my daddy…” Jieun pouts, sending Sehun her puppy eyes and Sehun prods her to eat her meal without interruption.

Jongin taps his fingers curiously around his glass of drink and he bites his lips anxiously, “What happened to Jihae?”

“They are no longer around…” Sehun hopes Jongin would understand what he is trying to say and as expected the teacher widens his eyes and hangs his mouth open, “Oh God I am so sorry…”

Sehun helps Jieun to wipe her mouth when she’s done and Jongin watches their chemistry with a smile on his lips. “I really must leave now… I have a meeting in three,” Sehun says, calling for the bill and he ignores Jongin who is trying to pay the bill. “Will uncle Yeol be at the meeting with you?” Jieun asks and Sehun brings his brows together, pretending to think about it. She giggles, making the same expression, “Yes he will but the meeting will be short. Daddy’s promise.”

Jongin watches Sehun talk to Jieun, ignoring his existence and that ticked something in his heart. He wants to be a part of them and he would have been a part of them if he didn’t fuck up ten years ago by asking for a break.

“Sehun… Can we start over?”


End file.
